India's Best Coastal Drives

How to begin your vacation even before you reach your destination

Mangalore to Goa:The next time you drive from Bangalore toGoatake the longer route along Karnataka’s coast (via Mangalore) and don’t make any bookings in Goa. MakeUdupiyour first pit stop – its home to one of India’s most serene Krishna temples and is a foodie’s paradise (yes that includes the world famous Masala Dosa). The highpoint of your drive awaits about 50 kms ahead at Maravanthe, where the road splits with the Arabian Sea on your left and the Sauparnika river and the backdrop of the Kodachadri hills on your right.

The Devbagh beach resortmay not be the most luxurious getaway but it’s nestled inside a Casuarina grove on the Devbagh beach, one of India’s finestsnorkelling destinations. As you pull into Goa you might wonder why a few hours jouney turned into a few days.

Chennai to Pondicherry: Sometimes the road trip becomes the destination as is the case with the East Coast road (ECR) that connectsChennaiwith Pondicherry. Start your ECR odyssey from either theVivanta by Taj Fisherman’s Coveor theRadisson Blu Temple Bay resort. Halfway down the road is one of ECR’s better kept secrets full of photo opps – the remains of the Alambara fort on a deserted beach.